Are you looking for ways to save money on your dental bills this year? AlumniDent® provides affordable group dental insurance to alumni and their families with immediate coverage for preventive, diagnostic and restorative services. AlumniDent also offers budget‐friendly payment options to help keep costs low. And best of all, there is no network – so you can keep your family dentist! For online enrollment, or to learn more about this exclusive plan available through the Alumni Insurance Program, visit the AlumniDent website.

The National Science Foundation-funded SUNY Louis Stokes Alliance Minority Participation (LSAMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) program at Binghamton University began on August 29. The program is looking to fill 7 spots for Spring 2012.See more information.

Eisch Organometallic Symposium: Oct. 28 - 29The Department of Chemistry is hosting a retirement celebration symposium in honor of Distinguished Professor John Eisch's career. The event, to be held in the Science 2 building on campus, will include keynote addresses from two Nobel Laureates. Alumni and friends of the department are welcome to attend.Read more.

The Alumni Association and Uncommon Goods (founded by David Bolotsky '85) offer alumni the opportunity to purchase banks made from mailboxes salvaged from the Newing Dining Hall. Find out more and purchase a bank today.

Binghamton University is on iTunes! If you're on campus, you can access the iTunes site using your PODS ID and password. If you are off campus, you can access our video and audio files through Apple's iTunes store. Search for "Binghamton University" and you'll find academic lectures, videos from Alumni Association events, and more!

Elliott tabbed as director of athletics

By Gail Glover

University President C. Peter Magrath announced on Oct. 6 that Patrick Elliott (far right) has been named as the school's new director of athletics. Elliott, who was most recently the director of athletics at Saint Peter's College, will begin his appointment on Nov. 14. He replaces James Norris, who is retiring from the position after a 21-year affiliation with Binghamton University.

"I am thrilled for Binghamton University that we have persuaded a first-class person to serve as our athletics director to succeed a first-class athletics director, which we have had in Jim Norris," said Magrath.

In his three-year tenure at Saint Peter's, Elliott spearheaded rapid growth that culminated with the school's most successful athletics year in 2010-11. He administered an annual budget of $12 million for the school's 19-sport program that resides in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Last year, Saint Peter's produced four conference championship teams, highlighted by the men's basketball team, which captured the MAAC title, won 20 games and advanced to the NCAA tournament as the No. 14 seed. In addition to the athletics success, Saint Peter's had two teams receive NCAA public recognition for their top-10 percent standing in Academic Progress Rate (APR) and more than one-third of the student-athletes achieved a 3.3 or higher GPA during the 2011 spring semester. Buoyed by Elliott's academic initiatives, the overall student-athlete grade-point average for the fall semester rose to an all-time high of 3.03 and that average climbed to a record 3.1 GPA for the spring.

"I am honored to have been given this tremendous opportunity to lead and build upon Binghamton University's tradition of athletic success," said Elliott. "I understand the importance of excellence on both the field of competition and in the classroom and I am looking forward to working with our student-athletes, staff and coaches to reach new levels of success in all areas."

Prior to arriving at Saint Peter's, Elliott served six-plus years at St. John's University as senior associate athletics director for finance, planning and operations. He began his administrative career at his alma mater, Seton Hall University, where he served as assistant director of athletics for facilities and operations, and then as associate director of athletics for finance and operations.

After earning his bachelor's degree in management and industrial relations from Seton Hall in 1989, Elliott joined the department as an assistant men's basketball coach under P.J. Carlesimo, working with him for five years. While with the Pirates, he helped lead the team to 105 wins and four Big East championships, assisting with recruiting and scouting, and in-game and practice coaching. During that time, he earned a master's degree in education.

Elliott and his wife, Maria, who was born and raised in Binghamton, have three sons: Dominick, John and Matthew.

Elliott assumes leadership of an athletics program that has finished among the top-four programs in the America East conference for eight consecutive years. Additionally, Binghamton's student-athletes have eclipsed a 3.0 overall GPA in 11 straight semesters, capped by last spring's record-tying 3.17 mark. Recently, the department was ranked 80th out of 311 Division I programs in a study that assesses the combined academic and athletics standards of all NCAA programs.